


These Moments

by NevermindLeftBehind



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:42:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9264287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NevermindLeftBehind/pseuds/NevermindLeftBehind
Summary: Soldier: 76 has made you feel every range of emotion in all the time you've known him. Is that what love is?





	1. First day of My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha idk what this is

You can't remember the date exactly but it was sometime during your first week with the recalled overwatch crew. That is, the first time you met him. 

Everything had been so informal and hodgepodge so far, you figured, since everyone who set foot on base was technically disobeying the law. There was no need for military conduct, not when the fear of being arrested or worse kept everyone out of trouble. Well, any serious trouble. 

You'd heard a thing or two about a certain Jesse McCree fellow. 

Your introduction to the base was very informal when you first stepped onto the concrete garage as you exited the aircraft carrier you arrived in. The oh-so-lovable and bubbly Lena, who you had come to know as Tracer from the news articles, was the first to greet you in a flash of orange and blue light. 

Your introduction to Winston, the one who recruited you in the first place, was also informal but you figured it was since the two of you had previously been acquainted. 

The first couple of days, Lena showed you around, making sure you knew every detail of everything. You appreciated it since it would probably save some embarrassment in the future, but the girl had so much energy, you were starting to feel exhausted just watching her zip around for the passed days you'd been together. 

Sometimes you'd be accompanied by d.va or Hana as she liked to be called. She was much younger but certainly easier to keep up with. Sometimes the girl would get worked up and talk a million miles an hour, but that was only sometimes unlike a certain peppy brunette you had come to  
Know. 

Hana did seem a lot older than she was...sometimes. At nights you would join her in the rec room and play video games, trying not to curse too loudly (why did she always choose rainbow road?!) as everyone slept. Spending time with the spunky girl reminded you of your early college days when you'd stay up late with your friends doing quite the same thing and wake up just as exhausted and eager as you seemed to be doing that week. 

But on this day you weren't greeted by Lena. So you went to breakfast to find Hana who also wasn't there. You found Lucio instead who looked gloomy as he sipped his coffee and visibly perked up as he downed the beverage. (The secret behind his spirited attitude: coffee. Good to know.)

"Morning," you greeted as you eyed the plate of food in front of him. (Breakfast casserole? No thanks.) 

He greeted cheerily in reply and offered you an apple when he saw you without any food. You kindly accepted. 

"So where's Hana and Lena?" You asked, taking a bite. (Almost as refreshing as a cup of coffee...almost). 

"On a mission. Tobjorn and Mei are out too. Have you met them yet?" He asked, forcing himself to eat the breakfast casserole. (The coffee helped him choke it down.) 

"Not yet. Hopefully I can when they get back," you responded eagerly and pulled out your holo-pad to see if there was any news of the mission your friends were on. You were really excited to be able to look at a news article and say "I know them!"

Or you would've if you didn't get a message from Winston asking you to his office. You bid Lucio farewell (and took the apple with you). 

\---

The meeting with Winston was, again, just another informal interaction that consisted of him asking you for advice on some technology he was looking into but didn't have the time to actually work on. Then he gave you a little rundown of what your training was going to be like before you could go on actual missions. Weight training, fighting lessons, medical training, etc. 

Once he'd said all that, he gave you permission to have full access to the lab to work on whatever projects you wanted. You nearly jumped up in the air in excitement but figured a simple thanks was in order. 

Once you exited the lab you were so starry eyed with excitement you didn't really realize where you were going. You were too busy thinking of all the things you wanted to work on that you almost didn't catch yourself. Almost. 

You stopped dead in front of someone. You eyed him carefully and realized you hadn't met him yet. Your obsession with overwatch figures gave you the knowledge to recognize him by his signature red, white, and blue jacket as well as his visor. Soldier: 76. 

Lena hadn't spoken much of him aside from mentioning him here and there. Hana on the other hand seemed to love tormenting him. Lucio joked along too but it was really Hana who loved to tease him almost like a daughter teases a father. 

You had no idea if he even noticed you in front of him. The visor's red glare gave no sign of acknowledgement but he stood like he was interrupted in his stride. 

"Agent," he nodded towards you in greeting. 

Of course he noticed you. You were right in front of him feeling your goofy, excited smile falter at the sight of him. "Sir," you responded, not sure if that was the right choice but it was certainly more appropriate than "Dad 76" as Hana and Lucio called him. 

There was a tension between you two that you could feel immediately. It was inexplicable but it was so thick and foreboding as he stood there looming with his expressionless visor. 

After a long and uncomfortable moment of silence he asked, "You're that new recruit?" Then he said your name and something about the way he said it made the hairs on the back of your neck stick up. 

You nodded in reply and noticed a white folder in his hand. He was holding a file. 

"Nice to meet you, sir," was all you could say. You were intimidated that was for sure. 

"Indeed," he responded, drawing it out making him sound almost suspicious. "I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot of each other."

"Well that's not ominous sounding at all," you couldn't help commenting sarcastically. Snarky comments were almost reflexive at this point. 

He flinched back like he was surprised but there was no way to tell if he was or not. You hoped he thought the comment was funny or else you were going to have nightmares of this embarrassing moment. 

"Im sorry. I just meant that I'm going to be training you so we'll be spending some time together." 

He sounded so polite and earnest, but the idea sent a shiver down your spine and you were starting to feel your palms sweat. You were ready to curse the gods for letting you have a good moment and then follow it up with meeting the most terrifying man and hearing that you were forced to spend time with him. 

"Ah, well. Nice to meet you," you repeated nervously as you sauntered away. 

You couldn't see it but he watched you walk all the way down the hall before he started moving. You realized the file in his hands was yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I'm pretty new to this fan fiction game but here's this. It's pretty self indulgent but *rubs hands together* this is going to be fun. Hopefully it's enjoyable to read. Reviews would be incredibly helpful since I'm new to this sorta thing. If you've read this far, thanks


	2. Gray or blue?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief description of your training and the aftermath of spending time with Soldier: 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: sexual frustration, intrusive thoughts

You should've expected the man who went by the title "soldier" would be training you like you were in the military. 

The rest of the base was so casual, what with Lena always running wild, Hana staying up in the late hours of the night and early morning, Lucio constantly making music and sometimes leaving base to record. You figured all of them had to endure this sort of thing at one point. 

After a week you got used to it, but the week was nearly hell. He would come into your room to wake you up before the sun had even considered peaking its head up from the horizon. 

Then you'd spend the rest of the day pushing your body to limits you didn't know it could handle. You were so intimated by him, if he were to so much as growl you would run faster or work harder. He didn't even need to yell insults like a drill sergeant to get you going. Of course it was all part of the experience so he yelled at you anyway, even though he could see the fear in your eyes. 

By the end of the first week, you were exhausted and had to decline Hana's offer to join her livestream even though you hadn't really seen her or your other friends all week aside from meals. 

After the second week, you had finally adjusted to the sleeping schedule and found yourself awake seconds before 76 rushed in and turned on the lights and began yelling for you to hurry and get dressed. 

"You know I can always get an alarm clock," you tell him at dinner on a Tuesday. 

He saw you sitting by yourself as all three of your youthful friends were on a mission. You had spent enough time with him by now to not quiver at the sight of him although his unfamiliarity and unfriendliness still made you nervous. 

He looked up at you from his book. Of course, he had already eaten and you weren't going to see him take off his visor. Rumor had it, only Angela and Winston had seen him without it since he adopted the trademark. 

"Hm?" He asked, not having processed the comment as it was the first thing you'd said to him since he greeted you when he sat down. 

"Oh," he shook his head. He still wasn't used to your casual snarky remarks. 

You cracked a small smile at the interaction and he went back to reading. 

\---

After a month, you noticed how your body had slimmed from all the training you had done. 

You stood in front of the mirror in your sports bra and shorts admiring the physical changes. You pat your newly firmed core and then pretended to beat it like a drum in amusement. You flexed your arms noticing the peaks your biceps created. 

All this exercising was nice but there was certainly a downside. You were really horny. 

You don't know why but extraneous workouts always made you really horny. You put your hands on your face in embarrassment at the thought of your unrest. 

Lots of men on base were starting to look good to you. That scary Japanese archer made you blush the other day when he broke his constant glare to crack a smile at you. That Jesse McCree fellow you'd heard about winked at you in the dinning hall and you nearly spit out your food. Even 76 was...

You shook the thought from your head as you released your hair from its constant ponytail. You really needed a shower. 

It was just hormones, you told yourself. It's just hormones and hormones are just chemicals and chemicals are just atoms. 

Your attraction to 76 was from an atomic level. 

Ugh!

You had to keep yourself from slapping yourself in the face as you got in the shower. 

It wasn't just 76 either. You were just as attracted to him as you were to the other two guys and they were mere strangers. Handsome strangers. But strangers nonetheless. 

Besides you knew nothing about 76. You had no idea what he even looked like underneath the visor. Hana had told you she'd made him take it off one time and it was actually an improvement that he wore it. 

Maybe a shower would expel these silly thoughts. 

\---

Being around Soldier: 76 was frustrating now. It's not that you were attracted to him, it's just that you couldn't lull the intrusive thoughts that kept pounding in your head like a noisy neighbor. 

When you went out for runs, he started to join you, now that you could keep up with his jogging pace. It was hard not glancing over and noticing the solid and muscular form next to you. 

Sometimes you'd catch glances of him staring at you too like one night in the dining hall. 

The gang was all there at the table and Lucio was talking about his first tour and the disaster that was his Amsterdam concert and you couldn't stop laughing. From across the room, you caught a glint of red and locked eyes with it. 

He was sitting alone again with a book but he had looked up, probably because your laughter had disrupted him. You felt like you hadn't met the gaze of his visor, though. It felt like you had actually locked eyes with the ones underneath. 

You had to tear your view away and pay attention to Lucio again to get your mind off it. 

You laughed some more but you couldn't stop imagining what color his eyes were underneath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why but I hate this chapter. Oh well. I kinda want this to move fast so there it goes. Reviews are loved and if you got this far WOW thank you!


	3. Constant Headache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you make him nervous? Does he want to get to know you? Does he hate you?

"Trying something different?" 

The voice interrupting your thoughts nearly made you drop your tray. You were the only one in the dinning hall besides Reinhardt and Zarya (who always liked an early start) and they were both sitting where you could see them. 

You could recognize the muffled grumbling voice anywhere. You turned to be greeted by Soldier: 76, in all his glory. You had finished your military style training a week ago but he still found ways like this to bump into you. 

"Huh?" Was the most you could manage to say in reply. 

He pointed towards the orange on your tray, "You usually prefer apples, right?" 

It surprised you that he had even noticed something like that. You nodded in reply, "Yeah I just wanted to deviate from routine for once." 

"Mind if I join you?" He asked as you sauntered over to an empty table. 

"Are you not eating?" You asked noticing that he hadn't even acknowledged the breakfast that was all laid out buffet style. 

"I helped Angela make it so I already ate," he replied. It was still hard to see him as friendly with his visor constantly making you guess his mood. 

"So what? You're just going to watch me eat?" You joked. 

"I can leave if you want. I do have a book to read." 

"You still haven't caught onto my snarkiness even after all these weeks?" You asked teasingly and you could see his shoulders relax. Was he nervous? 

You started taking bites of your breakfast here and there. (As usual the food was amazing thanks to Angela's godly talent to cook).

"Right. I'm so used to conversations with Angela and Winston. They're not huge jokers," he admitted. 

"Well, what about Hana? It sounds like you two joke around a lot."

"Yeah but the girl doesn't know when to stop sometimes."

You laughed at the memory of the girl. She had told you many stories of her mean but playful tormenting. You could see that she would sometimes take it over the top. 

There was a moment of silence that felt much longer than it was. 

"So what is it you're always reading?" You decided to revive some conversation. 

"Winston gave me a reading list. Most of them are science-fiction and all of them have been very philosophical. Some are classics," he replied and you could see him fidgeting with his hands underneath the table. "Right now I'm reading Flowers for Algernon."

"Oh I love that book. It's so sad." 

"Yeah I forgot how nice it was to read," he started and you could tell he was hesitating but he continued. "I used to be too busy to read but now I like to make time for it."

You could tell he was uncomfortable talking about his past. The man wore a mask nearly 24/7 so you could guess he would have a thing or two to hide. 

"Reading is really nice," you agreed, "I used to read all the time in college, even though I had almost no time too." 

You laughed at the idea of your busy college life and how you even managed to live. 

"I read your file. You must have had a lot to do in college," he added and you couldn't help feeling prideful at how he sounded impressed. 

"Well it wasn't so bad. I skipped a year thanks to ap classes. It didn't make a huge difference though."

"Psh. I doubt it. Don't you have a PHD? I should be calling you doctor instead of agent." 

You were ready to blush. He sounded so impressed and you were struggling not to let it go to your head. 

"I'm only pre-med though," you brushed off his compliment. 

"You're a robotics engineering prodigy AND you're pre-med. I can see why Winston recruited you." 

"Don't give me too much credit, sir," you could feel the heat rising in your ears and cheeks. 

"Why not?" 

"I'm surrounded by amazing people everyday. I'm part of the overwatch generation; I grew up admiring all these amazing heroes in the hopes that I could join them one day. I don't need to be reminded of my achievements and how impressive they are because if I can be friends with Tracer and eat breakfast made by Mercy...then I'm already reminded that I must've done something amazing to get here," you caught yourself monologuing as you started peeling your orange. "Sorry if that was dumb."

He seemed to be looking at you like he was in deep thought. He shook his head and cleared his throat when he realized you were finished. "Not at all. No that wasn't dumb." 

You could feel the corners of your lips tug up in a smile without your knowing. 

\---

Now that training was over you finally had time to hang out with Hana again. 

The rec room was usually empty (except on Thursday when Reinhardt's favorite soap opera was on) but it had the best tv. Some people had laptops or tvs of their own in their rooms but there was something special about sitting on the soft, moss green couch of the rec room with someone late at night. 

It wasn't that late, though, so you and Hana were just getting started. The girl's angry shrieks of cuss words were enough to drive anyone away in fear. 

You were starting to pick up Korean just from listening to her exclamations. 

"It's your fault for ALWAYS choosing rainbow road," you assured her. 

She looked over at you with a playful smile and suggested you play Marioparty instead. You knew that was worse and would only end in heartbreak so you settled on Starwhal...which might have been a mistake. 

You almost forgot how frustrating the game was but were quickly reminded as Hana bounced angrily beside you on the couch. You were laughing at her violent reactions towards you having the upper hand. 

Then something familiar appeared in the corner of your eye. A red glare. 

You adjusted to see Soldier: 76 peering through the window of the rec room as he stood in the hall. He was wearing a form fitting black shirt instead of his usual jacket and the sight made the heat rise up in your ears. 

You were so enthralled by the view that you didn't hear Hana's victory shouts. It seemed like he was scanning you with just as much attention. 

You were suddenly very aware of your appearance. Hair up in a messy bun, pajama shorts, tank top, and a hoodie which was all more casual than you could hope 76 to be seeing you in. 

"Oh look it's Dad: 76," Hana broke through your thoughts although you could still feel your face growing way too warm for your comfort. 

"Don't be rude! Say hi Dad!" Hana teased. You would've laughed if you weren't nearly paralyzed from embarrassment. 

You let the controller you were holding fall into your lap and waved at him. He just straightened and walked off without acknowledgement. 

"Pft. Rude," Hana spoke, crossing her arms. Her expression was that of general disgust. 

You just looked down at your hand in your lap, the imprint of his figure stamped behind your eyelids. 

"Geez."

"Hm?" Your voice sounded but you couldn't form words. 

"He must really hate you. Dumb old man."

You looked up at her to see her smirking amused. You forced a laugh in reply that managed to be convincing. As you began the next round, even though you knew she was joking, you couldn't help feeling a pang in your chest. 

It was disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this fic to be more focused on the development of the relationship with 76 and less about, well, anything else. So there's going to be a lot of interactions and conversations. Also all the chapters are named after love songs because that's fun. 
> 
> If you got this far I love you! Thank you!


	4. Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You would ask him how he feels but you'd probably end up fucking up and make it super awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: swearing, suggested Mercy/Soldier: 76

"Why have you been in such a sour mood lately?" Hana asked. You were too busy looking for an eraser to really focus on her question. 

"I don't know what you mean," you replied vacantly. You were designing some technology that would help you in the field and Hana's presence was only hindering your thought process. 

She insisted on knowing what was wrong so she followed you all the way to the lab and hadn't stopped talking since you got you both sat down. 

"You've been acting weird since the other night in the lounge. Is this about that thing I said about 76?" She asked. 

You fought the urge to blush in embarrassment at the idea of that night. You had stayed up staring at your ceiling, sleepless in contemplation for the past two nights since it happened. 

Did he hate you? Did he like you? Were you so insignificant that he didn't even care? 

The lack of a decent amount of sleep had really made you grouchy. 

"I don't know what you mean," you answered. 

She smirked and handed you an eraser. You knew she could see right through you, but you couldn't begin to put words to your feelings. 

"Mm-hmm," she voiced but her expression remained smug. "Why do you like that old man so much anyway?" She teased. 

You let out a deep breath trying to control your temper. The girl really knew how to push people's buttons and you could see how she got a kick out of messing with people. 

"I just look up to him, you know? I respect him. You know what respect is, right?" You asked sardonically. 

You looked up from your notebook to see her still smirking like she was so proud of herself. You scratched at your drawings in frustration. Your new work wasn't going anywhere so you started looking through some of the work Winston gave you. 

"Speak of the devil," Hana mumbled. 

You didn't process what she had said until you heard heavy footsteps approaching. Then you remembered she had been talking about 76. 

Your head shot up to look at him. He was standing on the opposite side of your desk, angled at Hana with his arms crossed. You could tell if he didn't have his visor on he would be glaring down at her. 

You didn't need to look at Hana to know she wasn't intimidated at all and probably looked amused. Actually, you couldn't look at Hana. You were too busy recalling the other night when he saw you and blatantly ignored you. Your face was heating up again and your frustration that built up from Hana's tormenting made you want to spontaneously combust immediately where you sat. 

"Here to scold me?" Hana asked playfully. 

"You know exactly why I'm here. If I don't see those papers on my desk by tonight-" 

"Oh, what? You're gonna tell on me?" She cut him off in a mocking voice. 

He slammed his hand on the desk making you flinch and drop your pencil. "Get it done!" He commanded in a firm voice that was almost a yell. 

You sank down beneath the desk to retrieve your pencil as Hana got up from her seat. 

"Okay, geez! If you wanted some alone time you could just ask," she cried as she made for the exit. 

You sat back in your seat, looking down at your sketches and blueprints in an attempt to avoid eye contact. You could see his solid form still standing in front of you but you forced yourself to stay focused. Now that Hana was gone you could maybe get some work done. 

"Sorry about that," he spoke but you were too stubborn to give in. 

"It's okay I get it. Girl has been bugging me all morning. Thanks for getting rid of her," you replied, giving him a quick glance of acknowledgement. "Maybe I could finally get some work done," you mumbled as you returned your attention to what you were writing. 

"So that's why you've been grouchy lately?" He asked. "Too much time with Hana?"

Yet again he seemed to have noticed something about you. It made your heart flutter thinking that he noticed when your moods changed. 

"No. I-i just haven't been sleeping too well is all," you answered, still unable to look up at him. You were afraid your face would heat up and he would see how red it was. 

(But was that really so bad? He had already seen you in your pajamas.) 

If there was a way to get your brain to shut up you would like to know what it was. Immediately. 

"Oh? Are you okay? Maybe you should see Angela about it," he suggested and the way he sounded so concerned made your hands start to sweat. 

Another thought that kept you up at night was how he'd always mention Angela like they were best friends. He mentioned Winston with just as much frequency but you couldn't help feeling...jealous. She knew what his face looked like, she probably knew his real name, hell, she had probably known him for years. 

Of course it was no secret who Soldier: 76 really was. Overwatch was his family and the base was where he felt safest, but you were just waiting for the day when he'd tell you his name and show you his face on his own accord. You hoped you could be special enough for him to confide in you like that. 

He said your name to get your attention and you snapped your head up to look at him. You mentally slapped yourself but you loved the way his deep voice made your name sound. "Something on your mind?" 

You didn't notice that he had pulled up a stool to sit across from you. Did he plan on keeping you company? 

"Oh yeah I'm just working on some stuff," you lied but he seemed to believe you. 

"What are you working on?" 

You shook your head and noticed strands of hair falling loose from your braid. "Just some ideas Winston was messing around with. He said he didn't have much time for them so he gave them to me to see what I could do."

"Work on anything that might help in the field?" 

"Unfortunately, no. Nothing new. I was thinking of pulling out some old ideas and seeing what I could do. I have a lot of tech that never even made it to prototype. It's in storage back home." 

"I'm sure it's all impressive work."

You could feel the heat in your ears again at his compliment. It was frustrating that you kept having physical reactions to everything he said. But it was true. 

You had been made famous for a lot of your tech. You had developed robotics technology that helped with precision in surgery, a more affordable piece of equipment that could provide poor neighborhoods and under privileged people with free and clean water, and a drone that could carry heavy loads that was used by the military and coast guard. Your tech had helped save lives and you were only in your twenties. 

"Thank you, sir," you managed to reply, thankful your hair had fallen to hide the redness of your ears. 

You were suddenly glad that you couldn't see past the visor. You were afraid that seeing his expression would make you even more red. 

"What got you into," he motioned towards the papers, "all this?" 

You gave a small laugh and started fixing errors in Winston's calculations. (He must have been very distracted when he made these.)

"You've read my file, haven't you?" You asked teasingly, cocking an eyebrow. (You didn't realize how flirty that was until afterwards when you were staring at the ceiling in bed).

He chuckled and it sounded so carefree. Your heart fluttered like a butterfly in your chest. "Yeah but that's not you," he answered. 

"Are you trying to get to know me?" You rolled your eyes playfully at the idea. 

"If I was, would that make you uncomfortable?" He was serious. 

You felt your breath catch in your throat but shrugged it off. He didn't make you feel uncomfortable but he certainly made you feel...something. "No not at all. I'd...I'd like to consider you a friend," you confessed unable to look up at where his eyes would be. 

After a moment of silence that felt painful, you glanced up knowing there was no way to tell what he was thinking. So you told him about your family, how you were an honor student, how you'd spent some time in poverty and then luxury. 

You spared some of the ugly details, figuring they could be shared on another day but he listened attentively. 

You mostly wished that you could hear about his family. About how he got that scar that peeked over the top of his visor. You had a few ideas but you wanted to hear him tell you. You wanted to hear his deep, masculine voice telling you all kinds of things. (Shit, you were blushing). 

He didn't seem to notice though. 

"Well, I had better stop bugging you," he spoke, tapping his hands on the desk like he was preparing to stand up but also like he was waiting for you to stop him. 

"No it's fine. I figured I had talked your ear off enough."

"Not at all. It's...nice to get to know you," he responded in earnest. 

His voice was so rumbly but he sounded so sweet. You could feel your lips tugging up in a smile. 

"But I promised Angela I'd help with dinner," he added and your heart sank. 

"Of course!" You heard the words fall from your mouth as he turned to leave. 

"Wait!" You called and he spun on his heels to look at you. You couldn't help being impulsive but you had to ask, "Is Angela...like your girlfriend?" 

OH GOD. 

Your eyes were glued on the shining red line of his visor. 

"Um." You could tell he was taken aback. You couldn't even believe that you had asked it yourself. 

You sat frozen feeling your palms and the back of your neck sweat. You were going to be replaying this in your head all night. You would probably get three, two hours of sleep tops. 

"NevermindsorrythatwasinappropriateforgetIasked!" You piped in a rush. 

He cleared his throat and walked off. You watched the back of his head as he walked towards the door then let your head fall into your hands in embarrassment. 

He opened the door but then stopped to turn around and look at you. You straightened as he looked at you and said, "No, she's not." 

You get two hours of sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I edit this enough haha :^) Thanks for all the positive feedback! (For future reference I hope you guys don't mind that I ship Mercy/Pharah ;))


	5. Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack confides in his best friend but he can't even put words to his feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but it's so short I figured what the heck. But yeah this is in the perspective of 76. Here ya go.

"Something on your mind, Jack?" Her voice cut through as the two of them sat eating breakfast together. 

He snapped his head to attention from the window at the sound of his name. It was very early morning and stars still dotted the darkened sky, but the two of them were used to waking up this early. 

He shook his head and she smiled as she sipped her coffee. She knew that something was bugging him, she didn't even need to ask. 

He had to turn away from Angela's understanding smile as he thought. He looked out the window again, trying to think but just tying himself in knots. 

"There's this girl..." he finally said but it sounded so silly coming out of his mouth. He felt like he was a teenager again. 

"Oh is there?" Angela asked not even bothering to conceal her enthusiasm. She would never press him for more information but he could tell she wanted the full story. 

It made his skin crawl. He wasn't a teenage boy ready to confide in his friend on who he had a crush on. As if he even had a crush on you. 

"It's not like that, Angela," he snapped, his nose scrunched up in distaste at the thought. 

"It's not like what?" She asked with mock innocence. 

He put a hand to his brow and heaved a sigh. 

He was drawn to you, sure. He had trained you and you were exceptional. You had a hard time at first but you never complained and...you were nice to be around. You weren't overly energetic like Lena. He could keep up with you. You didn't tease and humiliate him like Hana. You were a sweet kid. But that's what you were. A kid. 

Romantic relationships were not unheard of in Overwatch. (Angela and Fareeha were a prime example. If anything they were such a professional and reserved relationship. Most couples modeled themselves after the two). But the thought of him in a relationship was laughable. Even the idea of you having any feelings, aside from obvious admiration, for him was unlikely. 

"Can I at least know who it is?" Angela pleaded curiously and took a sip of coffee. 

"Angela," his voice was firm and serious. He was obviously distressed by the thoughts he was having.

"Okay, I'll stop. You can tell me whatever you want when you're ready," she assured him. 

She was always so patient with him. He guessed that's why he enjoyed Angela's company so much. But you had misinterpreted it. If you hadn't been so new you would know that she and Fareeha were an item, and the couple everyone hoped to be. 

"She asked if you were my girlfriend," he found himself admitting. A blush was creeping on his face as he thought back on the moment when you asked him. 

"Really?" She laughed, an amused and surprised look on her face. 

"But do you think she asked because she was interested?" He couldn't help asking. 

"She could just be curious," Angela suggested with a shrug. 

He let his face fall into his hands as he thought some more. Of course. Why would you be interested in an old man who's face you've never even seen? 

The words you said suddenly came to mind. "I'd like to consider you a friend." A friend. That's all he could be to you and even then you didn't consider him one yet. 

"Do you like her, Jack?" She asked to cut through the silence. She didn't even need to ask to know how he felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's song is "Her" by Eery if you wanna check it out. And yeah I might post the next chapter a little earlier since this was so short and had little interaction between Jack and Reader so yeah. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and all the positive feedback has been so sweet! I love you readers uwu


	6. Her pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get over it and your overwatch friends are amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some filler to move things along.

You had been avoiding him since that day in the lab. Avoiding boys had always been your trick in high school to get you to really stick in their minds but this time you did it for your own sake. You were still embarrassed. 

You had managed to take your mind off of it during the day while working on Winston's old projects. More ideas for weapons and equipment you could use in the field helped you fall asleep at night but you could still feel this gnawing in the back of your mind. You would reflexively recall that embarrassing moment and pinch yourself to think of something else. 

You had nearly slapped yourself at breakfast this morning and the laughter that rang from the usual gang was brought to a halt as they all stared at you. 

"You alright, love?" Lena asked next to you. 

You turned to look over at her, brows furrowed in confusion and lips brought down in a frown of concern. You forced a smile that felt genuine as you looked into the frightened eyes of Lucio and glanced over at Hana who looked like she was ready to fight whoever was making you feel so different. 

You could see her piecing it all together in her mind and you figured you'd better tell your friends sooner rather than later. 

You heaved a sigh. "I just embarrassed myself in front of 76 the other day," you confessed. 

You could see the tenseness in Lucio's shoulders fall, Lena return to a charming smile, and Hana unclench her fists at your statement. 

"Why didn't you say so?" Lucio laughed. "It happens to the best of us."

"Not me," Hana stated proudly. 

"What about that one time you dropped a wrench on his head?" Lena recalled, a smirk spreading across her attractive face. 

Hana's eyes widened at the memory like she was remembering something awful. "It was funny at first. But then he told everyone I still sleep with a teddybear."

The three of you giggled as she frowned dramatically and stirred her applesauce. 

"One time I fell on my sonic amplifier in front of him and it was so embarrassing. I was still new to missions and I trembled every time I went near the guy. Now I call him Dad."

Lucio grinned fondly at the idea. You couldn't help smiling in reply. 

Your friends were amazing and did a great job of comforting you. Lucio's story made you feel hopeful that one day you wouldn't be so scared of 76. 

\---

You had stopped deliberately avoiding him. If he came down the hall, you wouldn't turn the other way and if he came into a room where you were sitting alone you wouldn't start talking to someone. 

Strangely you hadn't seen much of him that week but it didn't trouble you. You were too busy trying to get yourself ready for missions. 

Developing your technology was easy once you knew what you wanted. You made a gun, made some boots to help you run faster and jump higher, and made a device that would create easy distractions and cover for your team. 

You also took up fighting lessons from Lena. You knew she would be a better teacher than 76 since she was about your size. She taught you how to put power behind a punch and how to beat someone bigger than you. It was the exact kind of training you needed. 

To top it off, you had struck up conversation with Reinhardt and Zarya one morning and they took it upon themselves to help you with weight training. They understood that you weren't looking to be anything of a Titan like they are, and while their teaching methods conflicted at times, they were exceptional teachers and made good company in the gym during the early morning. 

Hana joined you on early morning jogs since you insisted that she do something healthy at least once a day and the group managed to brighten your mornings when you caught them at breakfast. 

You smiled fondly at the idea of how well you had adjusted to life on the base as you walked down the hall. You probably looked like an idiot but you didn't care. 

You felt so good you were barely overthinking the fact that Soldier: 76 was coming down the hall in your direction. 

You knew there were two ways this interaction could go. It could go good and make you feel even better or it could go awful and ruin your good mood. Ugh why did he have so much power over you? 

You outlined his figure and noticed that he was walking tall and straight almost as if he saw right past you. He was nearly at your side when you called to him "Sir?"

He did a double take and stopped to look at you where you stood. You didn't know it but in his mind he was going over the scenario too. 

"Uh, agent," he greeted suspiciously. He straightened when he saw your smile. "I haven't seen you around recently," he added. 

So he had taken notice of you avoiding him? 

"Yeah. I've been busy keeping up with training. Winston figures I'll be ready for missions by the end of the month," you explained. 

"Well, I'd have to agree. It seems you're adjusting really well. Lena told me she's been teaching you how to fight."

"Yeah she's been teaching me how to fight people bigger than me. I've gotten pretty good. She made me take down Jesse the other day," you smiled at the memory of throwing him over your shoulder almost effortlessly and how badly it injured his pride as Lena laughed. "I could probably take you down, sir."

You almost wanted to punch yourself for sounding so flirty but were feeling too confident to show any second-guessing. 

76 on the other hand, visibly flinched at the idea. Why did he have such a perfect image of you pinning him on the ground? And why was that idea so appealing? 

"Sir?" You asked, growing a bit nervous from his silence. 

He cleared his throat and replied, "Maybe we could spar together sometime then."

"Yeah. I mean, why not?" 

"Well I should get going."

He sauntered off and you swore he sounded nervous. What was his deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm idk about you guys. I'm ready for some sexual tension. I also plan on including more of Jack's perspective ;)
> 
> Thank you all for the lovely compliments and comments!! They're very appreciated and if you guys have any suggedtions I would definitely love to hear them and try to include them in the future! :^)


	7. Settle Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sparring session gets cut short because you have to embarrass yourself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is good :^)

He kept his word. 

You told him to meet you in the training room at eight. 

You got there a bit earlier since the gym was so close and you had just finished weight training with Zarya and Reinhardt. As you took a sip of water, you noticed your hands shaking and you couldn't tell if it was from anxiety or exhaustion from pushing yourself too hard. 

You figured it was the former since you were suddenly overthinking everything that could happen between the two of you during your sparring session. You stretched your arms behind you and felt your back pop as you exhaled loudly with your eyes closed. 

You hadn't noticed 76 step inside the training room behind you but he could only notice you. The way your tank top clung to your skin and he could see your shoulder blades move when you stretched your arms in front of you, the way your hair in your pony tail swayed with your movements, the sound of you inhaling and exhaling deeply and the way the sound filled the room. He noticed it all. He could feel his palms sweat. 

Meanwhile you knew why you were anxious. You only got anxious before tests or when people watched you work. Or when you cared about something. You cared about this. You cared about impressing him. Ugh stop caring so much, you scolded in your thoughts. 

He cleared his throat. 

"Oh," you turned around in surprise. 

Even his coughs sounded rumbly. 

He was wearing his visor, of course, but his jacket had been discarded on a nearby bench. You really liked how well-fitted his black shirt was and how it outlined his figure. You knew he was muscular but you felt like you could see all the lines that made up his figure while he was wearing that shirt. 

"Did I scare you?" He asked and he almost sounded amused. 

"Just startled me a little bit," you answered and it was true. You were still anxious even though you found the root of your problem but seeing him towering over you, with his heavy hands clenching and unclenching made you really nervous. 

"So, let's get started?" He suggested and he hoped you couldn't hear his slight tremble. When you stared at him like that it was so intimidating. He had no idea what you were thinking, he just knew that you were probably calculating everything around you. He knew how smart you were and he figured, you didn't need a tactical visor to win a fight. 

You nodded your head and your ponytail swished with it. "Yeah," you agreed simply. 

You could feel the small of back begin to sweat. When you started sweating there, you really knew you were anxious. You were beginning to really regret this decision. 

"You should wrap your hands. I'd hate for you to hit my visor or something," he added. 

"Right," you replied simply. Your silence this morning was making him even more nervous. 

You took out the hand wraps Lena had gifted you and began fumbling with them. You were too distracted to care about them too much. Right now you were cursing yourself for agreeing to this. Soldier: 76 was no Jesse McCree. If what you heard were true, he had been in overwatch before Jesse and probably even trained him at one point. And if what you heard were true, he had been pumped full of super serum all those years ago. Why didn't you ask Lena to be here?

"Here let me help," his voice cuts through your thoughts and he sounds so sweet and nurturing. 

He untangles the hand wraps instantly and begins placing them on your hands for you. His calloused fingertips brush against the skin of your hands and he feels incredibly warm against your clammy hands. You begin to wonder if it's your hands that are sweaty or his. 

"You seem distracted this morning. Are you alright?" He asks still using that sweet, nurturing voice. 

You hate it. You hate that he notices these things about you. You mean, you had always noticed boys noticing you. You always knew when Jesse was staring at your ass or when Hanzo was admiring your hair or when Genji was openly flirting with you but you could never tell what 76 was ever thinking. You couldn't know when he was staring at your ass or admiring your hair because you could never see him doing it, but he could see you. 

You pull your hands away and quickly wrap them. "Yeah I'm just a little tired is all," you lie but sound convincing enough to fool him. 

"Let's just get started."

The two of you take your stances on the mats used for practice fighting. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks. 

Your head reels immediately as you wonder what he means and why he's asking. You want to say no but your body betrays you and you find yourself confident in your stance as you reply, "Yeah of course. I'm not backing out now just because you're afraid."

You manage to get a laugh out of him and the sound all but warms your heart and you feel your anxiety float off you like steam. 

You begin circling each other in thought, calculating what to do to take the other one down. He throws a punch first. You dodge and focus on his footwork. He's checking you out, seeing what you know and that's why he hit first. He's going easy. 

You don't know why that annoys you but you can't help feeling irritated in the back of your mind. He throws another punch and you dodge it again by a simple duck and a side step. 

"Hmm," he hums impressed. 

You feel a twinge of pride but brush it off to focus. He's still going easy on you. You can tell by the way he's standing that he isn't adding as much weight into his punches. But given his exceptional upper body strength he probably doesn't have to put that much weight into it. 

He throws another punch and you dance around it but before you can rearrange yourself to face him, he's got you in a chokehold. His grip is firm and you can feel the heat of his chest against your back. You have to force yourself to breath and not because he's choking you, in fact, his hold allows you enough room to breath naturally. 

You grab at his arms and nearly dig your nails into him. He's shocked at the gesture but it doesn't hurt him. You ignore the heat in your face. You're too frustrated to be flustered. 

You shift your stance the way Lena taught you, draw strength from your legs and your core and throw him over you on the floor. 

He lands slowly with a heavy thud and he's too surprised to think at his normal reaction time. He can't think of even moving because you're on top of him holding his shoulder down with one hand while your arm is at his neck. 

You're mad at him for going easy on you but you're also paralyzed where you stand, er, sit. Um..straddle? 

At any other time you'd be flushing violently at the thought of being on top of him like this but your vision feels blurry. You're so close that your chin is almost touching his visor right where the mouth would be. And you can make out his smell. 

He smells surprisingly sweet like vanilla but also something distinctly masculine like cedar wood. 

Also where your legs meet his waist was burning up. You could feel his body heat underneath you like a furnace. Then you began to realize your bare arm pressed against his throat and you felt the heat of his body flow into you and come up to your face. 

You stood up quickly. "I'm sorry if that was-" 

"No it's fine," he cut you off as he began to sit up. "You really have improved. I'll have to compliment Lena for teaching you."

He stood up facing you and you brushed past him to retrieve your bag and your jacket. You couldn't help feeling almost disappointed that he was so calm about you being on top of him like that. 

"I should get going. I should take a nap or something," you state dryly. 

Your ears feel hot and you're scared that he can see how red you are and you walk off while he says:

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you later." 

You don't see him sit down and you don't see him put his head in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a struggle but this is the finished product. I try to update every Monday but that was made a little difficult this week. But yeah. 
> 
> This weeks song is Settle Down by the 1975. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support. You guys are amazing!


	8. Steady as She Goes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hana is a shitty wing-person, 76 is a cute bookworm, and you're a fucking nerd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got an update WOW lookit thAt. Cw: sexual suggestions

You couldn't believe this happened. It was your first mission and you had already managed to embarrass the shit out of yourself thanks to Hana. 

The team consisted of you, Hana, Mei, and of course Soldier: 76. 

Mei was in the back chamber of the plane, catching up on rest as she readjusted to European hours. 

As usual, you were a ball of crippling anxiety as you sat in the not so cozy metal seat of the drop ship. Hana sat next to you looking at something on her tablet. You were amazed at how calm she was and then you remembered she had been doing this quite a while plus she was used to being watched by crowds which you were not at all comfortable with when it came to something as delicate and meaningful as your work. You were debuting your tech today and that thought added to the anxiety pile that could stand as tall as the Empire State Building by now. 

You felt something brush against your arm and then rest on it. It was warm and comforting but in your state it startled you. "Relax" 76's voice reached through his vizor. 

You knew he was trying to help but his presence just seemed to make it worse. You closed your eyes and inhaled deeply. You could feel your heart pounding like it was in your throat. His grip was gentle but firm and so very warm. 

Then it was gone. 

You could feel the weight in the seat next to you shift as Hana readjusted herself and discarded her tablet. Your eyes opened slowly and you could see Hana had an insult for 76 just raring to go. She was ready to call him a creepy old man or something but she seemed to read the hint of disapproval in your eyes and paused. 

You could tell when Hana was thinking. She was like a wolf-dog assessing everything in front of her, reading body language and expressions, and plotting. That last one scared you. 

You ignored her and turned to 76 who was reading his book for the week. Nine Stories by JD Salinger. You were a bit of a history buff and couldn't help smiling at his choice of literature. 

"You liking that book so far?" You asked. 

He turned to meet your gaze, the red glare of his visor peering down on you expressionlessly. He nodded for stoicism then answered, "It's funny and some parts I can relate to. Have you read it?" 

You shrugged modestly, "In high school I read Two passages. 'For Esme' and 'Teddy'. I liked them a lot." 

"I'll have to lend it to you once I'm finished so you can read the other seven stories," he suggested. 

The mere presence of this man terrified you but talking to him was so easy. You nodded in agreement. 

"Yikes," Hana whispered under her breath and it was barely audible. Barely. 

You turned to glare at her and she jumped comically with a shrill "Eep!" in response. 

The two of you communicated with expressions while 76 continued reading, oblivious. 

Once she stopped looking terrified she started to look suggestive. She dipped her head in the direction of 76 then looked at you and wiggled her eyebrows in a motion you didn't know she could make. You looked all but horrified as you understood what she was suggesting.

She put her hands up and her expression relaxed as if she was communicating, "Its okay, your inappropriately misplaced crush on Soldier: 76 is totally cool with me and I won't tell anyone." 

You let out a sigh of relief and glanced over at 76 who was still buried in his book. You felt more calm as long as you weren't thinking about the mission you were about it to go on, which was a simple precautionary evacuation mission of a small Swiss village since a nearby abandoned factory had experienced a gas leak that led to an explosion. Mei and 76 were to investigate the building (even though there were no casualties, it wouldn't hurt to check) while you and D.va would get people on the shuttles that were following your drop ship. Easy stuff. 

You were thinking about it again; you could feel your palms start to sweat. 

"You okay?" 76 asked and the obvious concern in his voice warmed you. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" You mutter, looking up innocently hoping that you didn't sound like you were obviously lying. 

"You were staring," he pointed out and you swore he sound amused. 

Stupid visor obscuring his expressions and overall emotions. 

You could feel a heat rise in your cheeks at his statement, and you were beginning to accept the fact that you would be uncomfortable today, no matter how well things might go. 

You looked over at Hana who mouthed the word "yikes." 

You rested your elbows on your knees, nearly folding your body in half. Then you proceeded to bury your face in your hands as 76 buried himself in his book. 

You could feel Hana shifting in her seat again. "Looks like the snow's really coming down outside," her feminine and almost childish voice spoke softly but loud enough to emulate that she was making small talk to you as well as 76. 

He put his book down suspiciously, impressed that the girl had managed to look at something other than a screen and was actually trying to make polite conversation. Maybe you were a good influence on her. 

You looked through your fingers, seeing as your hands were still on your face and peered out the windshield of the ship to find a grey sky and winds blowing white flakes in all directions. She wasn't wrong. Wait. What was she doing? 

You dragged your hands away from your face and tilted your head to look up at her, echoing 76s suspicion, and remaining in your folded position. 

"It is snowing pretty heavily," you agreed. 

76 looked less suspicious and figured if you were going along with the conversation, Hana must've been acting genuine. "Yeah if it keeps up like this, we might have to stay in a safe house," he added to the conversation. 

You would've asked where the nearest one was if you weren't thinking about how the autopilot managed to run the ship so smoothly in this weather. (The autopilot must calculate algorithms on how to fly the smoothest route while filtering in variables like weather. But it would have to have incredible accuracy in predicting variables to fly this smoothly. It could be connected to the internet but that would make it accessible for hackers which Winston wouldn't risk after what happened at Gibraltar...) 

"Is there one close by?" Hana asked and nudged you with an expression that said, "I'm doing this for you so stop zoning out like a nerd." 

"A safe enough distance to travel," 76 replied after an instance of consideration. "Now that I think about it, we might have to if the weather does keep up like this. It should be safe for the citizens to evacuate but we'll be doing a perimeter check that could take up to an hour afterwards. The weather could be even worse by the time we're done."

You glanced over at Hana bitterly. She literally got him to talk to you about the weather. 

"Cool. I don't think I've ever stayed at a safe house before!" Hana jumped a bit in her seat, completely ignoring your look. 

"It's not that great, kid," 76 started to shoot her down which followed the pattern of their usual dynamic, "The heater never works, the water's always cold, and there's only one bathroom." 

"Yeah that doesn't sound too fun," you cut in and you swore you could see Hana perk up at the sound of your voice. "I'd hate to share a bathroom with Hana. Last time we had a sleepover she made fun of me."

"It's not my fault you look like you gave a blow job and didn't swallow properly when you brush your teeth."

You could feel your heart stop. 

You looked over at her, wide-eyed and horrified as you sputtered for words until you finally just said, "Hana!" firmly like you were scolding her. 

You were afraid to look over at 76 but you managed to anyway as he stood up. "I'm-I'm gonna go-ahem-I'm gonna go check on Mei. We should be arriving soon."

You watched him walk away in complete embarrassment and then turned to look at Hana. 

"What the hell!" You whisper-screamed at her. You were too mortified to really be mad at her but you still wanted to know why she did it. 

"Um, you're welcome," she sassed. 

"For what? Humiliating me? Because, thanks, I certainly couldn't manage that on my own eventually," you said sardonically. 

"Hey, trust me, I know what I'm doing. I've had a few boyfriends and girlfriends in the past, and I'm also an excellent wing-person. And I know 76 seems like a really chaste person but trust me, he's repressed as hell. Put a little bit of romantic/sexual pressure and he'll snap like a twig. You'll have him in no time." 

Your face felt like a furnace thanks to everything she was suggesting. You couldn't find your words so you just shook your head a couple times. When you finally found your voice you managed, "I don't want 76. We're nothing more than coworkers, maybe even friends who mutually respect each other."

She took your response with a look of disbelief but considered it for a moment before saying, "Look, I know you don't know him super well yet but I know him. Sure, I'm not as close to him as Angela but even with the mask on, I can see how he looks at people and I've never seen him look or act with anyone the way he does with you."

She was speaking earnestly and seriously which was a serious rarity but if you knew anything, you knew to listen to her when she was speaking like this. You wanted to say something but you couldn't figure out what yet. 

By the time you did figure out what you wanted to say, she had taken out her tablet to signal that the conversation had ended. 

You looked over at the spot next to you where 76 was sitting. He left his book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been a bad mom and haven't updated in over a month but I'm alive! Work has been killing me with hours lately so it's been a struggle but I was inspired to write this piece of garbage for you guys. 
> 
> I got some really good suggestions in the comments so thanks for leaving your thoughts and feelings! I really appreciate it and I love you all. Hopefully this satisfies you readers out there and I'll try to update more regularly!


End file.
